Just to Be Normal
by Amanda Marie Johnson
Summary: Buffy Summers dreams to be normal, just once. She dreams of being on the basketball team, having a real relationship with a guy and being the normal high school girl all her friends are. But what happens when her wish comes true? Will her dream turn into


NEW STORY EVERYONE! I KNOW I HAVEN'T UPDATED FOR A WHILE, BUT I HAVE NO INTERNET. I HAVE THE USE THE SCHOOL'S COMPUTERS AND WELL YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES. ANYWAY R/R!

Buffy Summers sat in the gymnasium watching the girls' basketball team practice with her friend Willow and sighed.

"What's the matter, Buffy?" Willow asked.

"I don't know" Buffy grumbled. "It's just watching them play makes me wish that I could."

"Why don't you?" Willow asked.

"Oh, right, and what do I say when I need to go out and patrol? 'Sorry, girls can't practice today. I have to go slay vampires?' I don't think so" Buffy said.

"Okay, you have a good point. Being the slayer does prevent you from some activities" Willow said.

"Yeah, any activities that involve being normal. Just once I'd like to be on a team and play and have my mother be proud of me" Buffy said.

"Buffy, your mother is proud of you" Willow said.

"You don't see it, Will, I do. I see it in her eyes, the disappointment. She'd never say it, but I know she wishes I were normal too' Buffy said.

"She's your mother, she loves you just the way you are" Willow said. "We all do."

"Thanks, Will, but I still wish that just once I could have a normal life. Be on a team, go to a dance, have a normal boyfriend without worrying he'll turn evil and I'd have to send him to hell. I'd rather be a normal girly girl than a pumped up super-chick. I just want out" Buffy said and they continued to watch the game.

Melarra, a new vengeance demon in town watched at a distance, listening to everything Buffy and Willow were talking about. Wanting to impress D'Hoffryn and the other vengeance demons, Melarra put her hands together to grant the slayer's wish.

"You want to be normal" Melarra said. "You've got it. No more slayer in Sunnydale.

Buffy walked home after basketball practice, hungry for something fattening.

"Mom? You home?" Buffy called as she entered the house.

"Oh, hi honey. Did you have a good day?" Joyce asked emerging from the kitchen.

"Yeah, okay, but I smell something yummy. What are you making?" Buffy asked as she and her mother went back into the kitchen and Buffy lifted the pot lid to smell what was cooking.

"Spaghetti and meatballs" Joyce said.

"Yum, I'm starving" Buffy said and got out two plates. Mom, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, honey, what is it?" Joyce asked.

"Are you ashamed of me?" Buffy asked and quickly regretted the question seeing the terrified look on Joyce's face.

"Ashamed of you? Why on earth would you think that?" Joyce asked.

"It's just…I'm not the typical daughter. I don't collect things, except for stakes and weapons, crosses and holy water. I don't have really any hobbies, except for killing creatures of the night, which isn't really all that great. I'm not a kid, I'm a superhero, and let's face it, they don't really get out that much" Buffy said and Joyce put her arm around her daughter.

"Sweetie, I love you. I am so proud of you. I wouldn't trade you for anyone in the entire world, not the star athlete, the ballerina, the cheerleader or the homecoming queen. You save the world and protect the ones you love. I couldn't ask for anything more" Joyce said.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm almost eighteen and already I've slayed countless vampires, averted apocalypse three times and lost my virginity to a un-deed creature of the night who I ultimately had to send to hell, which I also too went and discovered that I am known on all dimensions" Buffy said and Joyce smiled.

"I will admit, your life is anything but normal, but who says that has to be a bad thing, you do so much good" Joyce said and went back to finishing making dinner.

Buffy and Joyce ate and then loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. Afterward Buffy put on her jacket, got her stake and got ready to go out and patrol.

Meanwhile, Melarra stood outside of Buffy's house, preparing to grant her un-known wish.

"It is done" Melarra said and disappeared.

"Okay, mom, I'll be back later" Buffy said to her mother.

"Be home at a reasonable hour" Joyce said as she followed Buffy to the door.

"I'll try, but you know how it is" Buffy said.

"Something's always coming up, I know, but every teenage girl has something on her mind, just be home before one" Joyce said and Buffy left the house, thinking it a little weird that her mother was all of the sudden so keen on putting an hour to when Buffy had to be home.

Buffy whistled to herself as she walked across the graveyard looking for danger. Seeing a new vamp come out of his grave Buffy went over to him, preparing to stake.

"Hey, have a nice nap?" Buffy asked and he snarled, seeing his first meal.

"Yeah, made me hungry" he said, moving closer to her.

'Yeah, well how about some nice wood to make that hunger go away?" Buffy said, reaching into her coat for her stake, but nothing was there. "What? Where's my—" she began, but the vamp jumped on her, knocking her to the ground. Buffy punched him, but to her surprise her strength was gone. "What is going on?" The vamp, growling at this point bent down to sink his fangs in her neck.


End file.
